


Cantina

by Seven_Sisters



Category: Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-29
Updated: 2017-05-29
Packaged: 2018-11-06 14:48:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,016
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11038380
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Seven_Sisters/pseuds/Seven_Sisters
Summary: A patron of the Mos Eisley Cantina watch As Obi-wan Kenobi and Luke secure passage off planet.





	Cantina

**Author's Note:**

> This is a submission for a writing challenge in the Reddit /r/FanFiction sub. 
> 
> https://www.reddit.com/r/FanFiction/comments/68lycd/prompts_challenge_round_12_may/
> 
>  
> 
> **Outsider POV**

* * *

Janlatu watched as the two strangers entered the cantina. They stood out for some reason that he couldn't quite put his finger on. The older man carried an odd aura of power. Perhaps a Jedi ... but no. That cult was long dead. The ... what did they call themselves again? Sith? Yeah, that's it. The Sith had wiped them out over a generation ago. There were no Jedi anymore and that suited him just fine. They had a reputation for getting into other people's business. The galaxy was better off without them as far as he was concerned.

The boy was some kind of local hick from the looks of things. He wore the common garb of the working poor of Tatooine. He smelled like a moisture farmer, and he clearly didn't belong here among the cutthroats, smugglers and other assorted intragalactic scum. He made a bet with himself that the boy would likely be dead within the hour. Still, there was something about him. Something to do with the Force.

Janlatu sat in the shadows like most of the clientèle that frequented the Mos Eisley Cantina. He nursed a drink while he waited for his contact to arrive. He always kept a low profile and a close eye on everyone who entered the bar. These two were no exceptions. If anything, they stood out in spite of the old man's attempts to blend in. The boy's wide eye wonderment wasn't helping.

Janlatu was bored. His contact was late, but that wasn't unusual. There was nothing for him to do now but wait. He listened as Figrin D'an and the Modal Notes played on the small stage. They were pretty bad. Well, they were technically fine as musicians, but they had an incredibly limited repertoire. They'd been playing this monstrosity of a song for over two hours now. They must work cheap. Why else would you hire them?

The old man walked to the bar with the confidence of a regular. He wore a cloak that made his features difficult to make out. The boy stood in the doorway, dumbstruck by what he saw. _One hour, tops._ Janlatu smiled when the droids accompanying the boy started to enter. The bartender must be in a good mood today as all he did was tell the boy to send the droids outside. Well, that was one challenge he managed to meet without losing anything vital like an arm. Or a head. Damn fool kid didn't even realize what just happened.

Janlatu waited and watched. It was starting to feel like things were about to get interesting. Even so, he was surprised by how quickly things escalated. The boy joined his friend at the bar and ordered a drink. He picked a bad time to sit there. The two barflies next to him, Roofoo and Ponda Baba, were drunk and bored from the looks of things. That is never a good thing, and this poor boy just attracted their attention. _Perhaps an hour was too generous._

He watched in amusement as Ponda Baba starting giving the boy a hard time. The older man might have been able to defuse things, but he was talking to a wookie. Janlatu looked around. He'd seen this wookie before, and if he were right, then Solo wouldn't be far off. Sure enough, the human was sitting at a booth watching his friend talk to the old man.

Oh! Now this was getting good! Ponda Baba's partner, Roofoo, decided to join in. Things must be slow for those two. Janlatu listened to what he was saying. Yep, same old thing. Wanted men on a dozen planets or so. Death warrants. The works. The boy was apparently trying to placate them, but that wasn't going to happen. There was going to be bloodshed. He thought maybe he should feel sorry for the boy's untimely death but decided it wasn't worth the effort.

He returned to scanning the bar when he heard the boy crash into a table. Roofoo had drawn his pistol and was aiming it towards the old man. _Perhaps I was wrong. Maybe it'll be the old man who will die today._ Janlatu watched in astonishment as the old man drew a lightsaber and slashed at Roofoo then removed one of Ponda Baba's arms. _Ow! That had to hurt!_ He gripped his pistol beneath the table and looked around. He relaxed a few seconds later as the rest of the bar patrons returned to their own affairs.

 _A lightsaber!_ Was this old man a Jedi after all? No, it wasn't possible. They'd been wiped out, and even if there were a few survivors, there's no way they'd be hanging out in this dive. He must have found the thing and taught himself to use it. Still, the way he timed the slash to Roofoo's chest before the latter could fire his pistol was impressive.

He kept a closer eye on things. The old man collected his young friend and accompanied the wookie to the table where Solo was seated. They seemed to be negotiating something. Probably passage off the planet. They spoke for awhile then slipped out the back as two Imperial Storm Assholes entered the cantina. That explained a few things. Janlatu pushed back into the shadows as the two storm troopers walked past him. He didn't need the attention either.

He turned and looked back towards the door and noticed Greedo heading towards Solo's table. There was a bounty on Solo, and it looked like Greedo was there to collect. _This is getting better by the minute._ The two returned to the booth and began to discuss something between them. Janlatu had a pretty good idea what that might be about. He watched from his vantage point as Solo leaned back in his seat and surreptitiously unholstered his pistol. They continued to argue then Greedo evidently said something Solo didn't want to hear. Solo fired a shot through the table at Greedo, ending the conversation.

Janlatu returned to his drink as Solo left. _Well, at least the wait wasn't a total bore._


End file.
